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July 9, 2004
Friday 9th July 2004
Ryan is 31 months old
I’m still alive! I’m back! Not that I’ve been anywhere exciting like the Bahamas (hey Kelly, Jen & Cara – grin). One can dream. No, I’ve just been caught up in the midst of the daily grind also know as work and life in general. No time to scratch myself these days and when I do have a free moment, at 10pm or thereabouts, I don’t have the energy to even switch on the home computer. Hence most of my posting and reading is done at work (blush – why can’t we use those funny little faces here??) during quiet times. Like today.
THE BORING STUFF - WORK
Work has been quiet this week in terms of cases. I am currently working on costings (thrilling eh?) to create a full time position for a new forensic pathologist. They certainly don’t come cheaply! I think I am getting more grey hairs than usual because of this. My co-worker is also transferring to another position for 12 months outside of our department, so we will be getting someone to fill in for that time. I will be involved in the interviewing process and will have some input as to who gets the job. I want someone funny, interesting, calm, helpful, tolerant and capable – not asking for much, am I? No, I just want someone who can do the work and with whom I can have a bit of a chat, someone I can bore with details about Ryan’s latest stage of development and new words he’s saying this week! My current co-worker has been here forever so ‘experienced’ my pregnancy, maternity leave and all the ups and downs I’ve had while trying to be a ‘capable’ working mum. She humours me when I prattle on about Ryan, being the proud mummy I am. Since she has 2 children herself, she is very tolerant of my ramblings.
MY FAVOURITE ROLE - "MUMMY"
Because I work full-time, I enjoy being with Ryan so much and try to make the most of it. He is such a little personality. We can make each other understood fairly well these days which is a relief (fellow mums - remember those early scary days with your first child when they are upset and obviously can’t tell you what’s wrong? Oh the frustration and anxiety, trying to guess what could be the matter!). Now it’s a matter of saying, ‘why are you crying, bubby? What’s wrong?’ And nine times out of ten Ryan will tell me and then I can fix the ‘ouchie’ or retrieve the toy from where it shouldn’t have been placed, or just give him a cuddle. Such a simple thing but it makes a huge difference.
Ryan is still:
Enjoying a bottle of warmed milk before bedtime
Sleeping in a cot (crib)
Sucking on the beloved dummy (paci) at night
Wearing nappies
And we are in no urgent hurry to change any of that. I am confident that when the time is right (for him, not me) things will change. He is a happy, secure and confident little boy so I think we’ll just plod along as we have been and follow his lead.
His day carer has been taking the kids to play group twice a week and Ryan has been coming home with all manner of creations which are just so cute. I’m keeping them all of course. Although I have finally gotten to the stage where I am able to discard ‘some’ of his many drawings and pictures! When he is on a crayon and paper frenzy, he will go through about 30 sheets, some with just a tiny scribble on them. He also has a Shrek colouring book that he just loves. He tried to colour Shrek a lovely shade of green (at least he got the colour right) and now Shrek can hardly be seen under all the handiwork. Last week he made a ‘frog’ out of cardboard which had a clothes peg attached to its underside (for hopping purposes of course); he handed it to me with this serious look on his face, saying ‘don’t pinch your fingers, mummy!’ 2 ½ year olds are so deliciously CUTE. I think I want to stop the clock at this point.
WEDDING AND WINTER
We went to DH’s brother’s wedding last weekend, a very informal but lovely ceremony where everyone was asked to wear ‘a splash of red’ (the bride’s favourite colour). The venue was quite small, probably too small for the number of guests so I am glad we didn’t take Ryan. DH was best man and we hardly saw him all evening as he was busy helping out with drinks and food and helping to keep everyone happy. We left home at 3pm and didn’t get back until around 10pm, by which time Ryan was tucked up in bed, sleeping soundly after having spent a fun filled afternoon and evening with………….DH’s ex-wife! Yes, she came to our house to baby-sit and they had a BALL together. DH’s sister thinks it’s all too WEIRD but it works for us. I think I’ve mentioned before that the ex and I get along well and she adores Ryan and kindly offered to sit with him while we went to the wedding. I don’t have a problem with that. The next day Ryan was telling me about the fun he had the day before building block towers, playing with a ball, doing puzzles and then announced ‘Wanna see Sawah!’ (Sarah). Those words would probably freak out a less secure person but I’m fine with it.
I can honestly say that should anything tragic ever happen to DH & I (God forbid and all that) I would be happy to know that Ryan was being raised with his half sister (my stepdaughter and DH’s daughter with his ex-wife) in a loving and secure environment. We have not really discussed and certainly not formalised anything along those lines but it is an option I would be happy with. It’s morbid and sad but I guess we all have to think about what would happen if we are no longer here to take care of our little ones. Breaks my heart just to think about Ryan growing up without me – sniff, sniff.
It is bitterly cold here right now. I’ve had enough of winter already and we still have the rest of July and August to go! Ryan is starting to resemble a little snowman every time we go outside, all bundled up. He has never seen snow so a weekend drive up Mt Wellington (overlooking our capital city, Hobart) just might be in order. That’s really the only place where snow settles mid-winter. Looks mighty fine but I’m glad it’s up there and not in our backyards.
WEEKEND PLANS
DH’s dad is visiting for 2 weeks so we will be going out for dinner with him and the rest of DH’s family this Saturday evening. He has never seen Ryan! His health has not been good over the last couple of years and he has been unable to travel so it will be great to introduce our little whirlwind to his Grandad. We are also going to my mum’s house on Sunday for dinner, a kind of ‘bon voyage’ for her as she is flying to England next Wednesday for 3 weeks (a 21 hour flight). She will be attending a wedding and of course catching up with all her extended family there. I promised I would put together a video tape of Ryan for mum to give to my Nanna, so I must, must, must spend some time this weekend transferring some video camera footage to tape. I really need to get caught up with that job. I have heaps of video camera footage and never seem to get around to transferring it over.
I also want to list a lot of items to sell on eBay. I love eBay, it’s so much fun. I had a great experience selling about 10 items a couple of months back, made some good money and thought ‘why don’t I do this more often?’ I have a ton of baby gear I could sell, also clothes and books. So I need to get busy with the digital camera and spent some time on-line listing all my ‘incredible bargains’!
As always, it’s looking like a busy weekend with boring housework thrown in for good measure. I am seriously toying with the idea of getting someone in a few hours a week to do ‘the basics’. I just HATE doing housework at the weekends and giving up precious time with my little boy to do numerous loads of washing, cleaning bathrooms – you know the drill. Bleeerrrghhh.
THE DREADED YEARLY CHECK-UP
DH is going back to his specialist next week for a yearly check-in and check-up. It is now 3 years (wow, that’s insane) since his diagnosis and long haul treatment for bowel cancer. They do a full body scan, blood tests and colonoscopy to make sure all is well. It’s stressful but necessary and always followed by a huge sense of relief when good results come back (the last 2 years). I think once you’ve had that diagnosis, it’s never really forgotten. But there are no worrying symptoms or problems so all should be fine this year too. I will probably take some time off work when he has his scan, just for the moral support. I know I would like someone there with me if I had to go through those tests.
MOTHER’S GROUP SYNDROME
Due to work I haven’t been able to go to many of the get-togethers my original mums’ group have held (usually at each other’s homes) but I catch up with one or two of them now and again. Now I’m wondering if it’s a good thing at all because I find myself feeling more and more miserable when I hear about their excursions during the day, another one becoming pregnant, another new baby arriving etc etc. One girl had a baby boy last weekend and I realised I’m the only one NOT to have a second baby. I’m the only one working full time. I know it’s not a competition but I can’t help but feel left out and a little sad. Ryan’s baby days went by so quickly and, while I love the little boy he has become, I miss being a mummy to a baby! The yearning is as strong as ever....
BLOGGING
Aren’t blogs the best? So much more personal and FUN. I have visited the Typepad home page numerous times, mouse hovering over Click Here, wondering whether to sign up for my 30 day trial! I love what others have done with their blogs, their originality, their sense of fun and the personalities that shine through. I’m trying to think of an amusing, interesting, intelligent name for my blog. They are all so witty and unusual that I’m feeling the pressure to come up with something equally as captivating. Any ideas?
FRIDAY ON MY MIND
Yay, it’s Friday lunchtime. A downhill slide to 5pm – the worst is now over! DH is thinking of taking J (my step-daughter) to see Shrek tonight. I hope they go - I have to admit that I do love being at home on my own sometimes (well, with Ryan in bed asleep of course). My idea of lazy heaven – chocolate, potato chips and Sex and The City on DVD to catch up on. That should be me about 9pm this evening! Never mind that I should make a start on all that housework I’ve been complaining about…..
Have a great weekend!
Sue & Ryan
www.babiesonline.com/babies/r/rg - oops, got my ‘please update or you will be exterminated’ email yesterday – I will try to fit that into my schedule this weekend too.
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